Thursday Bolts – 6.2.11

Forbes on Durant’s endorsement-ness: “So what’s the fascination with this kid? First, he’s damn good. Mr. Durant was the leading scorer in the NBA in 2010-11, averaging 27.7 points per game. This was his 2nd consecutive year as the league’s top scorer. Second, his game has great appeal because its smooth and seamless. Graceful and classy yet forceful and dominating when needed (see video above). He’s not a trash talker for the most part. He just plays his game.”

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports some serious progress was made on the CBA: “So why the reason for hope? Two subtle, but potentially important things. First, the bargaining session added to the schedule Wednesday during the Finals was in addition to two meetings previously scheduled for next Tuesday and Wednesday in Dallas. After a smaller session in New York last week in which the players proposed some new “concepts” for bridging the enormous gap between the two sides, the dialogue was deemed positive enough to accelerate the talks. Hunter even hinted Wednesday that another session could be added next week if the progress continues.”

Henry Abbott on how a new CBA could hurt younger players: “Meanwhile, it’s an open secret in the NBA that one key to good cap management is to accumulate as many players as possible on rookie contracts. The Thunder’s Sam Presti has written the book on this in recent years — Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and James Harden are just half of Oklahoma City’s eight rookie scale deals last season.”

Chad Ford on this draft: “For sure. I think people misunderstand the criticism of the draft. The top two picks are really good … but they aren’t superstar caliber. The next 10 players in the draft are typically the sorts of players you get in the late lottery to mid first round. But after that, the draft is really loaded into the mid to late 30s. If I’m drafting anywhere between 15-35, I’m happy with the draft.”

Franklin and Bash premiere last night? I missed it. I can’t believe even after the three months of endless promos that I actually forgot to watch it. There’s a message in there about something I think.

Bunny Dojo :Thanks for the link, Royce, I really appreciate it.It’s great to get some feedback from fellow OKC fans on that custom logo and jersey design project, both positive and negative.I hope it doesn’t come off as disrespect for what they currently have, I just wanted to give the idea a shot as design practice.And that’s a solid point raised on here about going with “Oklahoma City” for the Away uniforms. Using “Thunder” on both was a nod to the Sonics’ jerseys, but beneath that it was probably just laziness on my part after realizing how much time the rest of the project ate up. I’ll have to try some updates down the road.Thanks again, and thanks to those who have commented on it!

I liked all of it cept, the Sonic tribute part of the jersey. Logos,colors and everything else I found to be one of the better designs I've seen created.

It's great to get some feedback from fellow OKC fans on that custom logo and jersey design project, both positive and negative.

I hope it doesn't come off as disrespect for what they currently have, I just wanted to give the idea a shot as design practice.

And that's a solid point raised on here about going with "Oklahoma City" for the Away uniforms. Using "Thunder" on both was a nod to the Sonics' jerseys, but beneath that it was probably just laziness on my part after realizing how much time the rest of the project ate up. I'll have to try some updates down the road.

A change in KD's "super-friends" could come from a trade sometime in the next few years but I doubt it.

I'll also watch what players will be free-agents in the summer of 2016 same as KD and what other teams maneuver for big cap space then. Might Howard extend to 2016 then look for new super-friends then? Many ways the future could play out. Some nice for the Thunder, some less so and some very not nice.

I like the Thunder logo conceptually. Not sure if it was intended this way but you can think it 5 points (the 4 added ones and the bottom of the hammer) as the 5 players surging into and becoming the Thunder hammerhead / mighty Thunder team.

Maybe the styling on the hammer could be a little different. The proposed color scheme would be retro and pretty edgy. I doubt the owner will change the color scheme away from blue, white and red, yellow and orange to anything reminiscent of the past or that edgy but I agree with others that the current logo and overall uniforms are below average in my opinion, though I don't often focus on it.

@okc babyIt would be especially funny if we could somehow manage to get Howard without giving up Russ. We would literally be the Heat 2.0, except we would be strong where they are weak (C, PG) without the same dropoff at our other spots (Harden better than any Heat SG, Collison better than any Heat C).

Is it wrong that even though I would be so out of my mind excited (like need to be pinched a few 1000 times to believe it), I mean I would be so excited that I'm actually a little upset at russokc because when I hear the smallest stuff like that my mind wanders for hours about what it's, but point being it would be hard to swallow trading any combo of perk ibaka or Russ... I think I've let myself grow to attached to every player for the most part as a fan... If I were told the trade will 100% happen but I have to choose which two out of those three will go personally I would be sick... Can't imagine how presti would feel actually being close to them

@ DJ 7I'm not really fan of the ones on NBA.com but I felt the exact same way. At first the colors, logo, and jersey were just uber gay to me. Since then they've grown on me a TON. Not sure exactly what I would like to see out of an alternate jersey though... let the brainstorming begin..

DXL :If there’s any way to trade for Howard (impossible to sign him as a free agent) then you do it without thinking about it. Durant and Howard are 2 of the top 3 players in the NBA! I’m sure Presti would figure out a way to surround those guys with enough talent to win a championship.Westbrook and Ibaka and a couple first rounders for Howard at next year’s trade deadline? Done. You’d still have Perkins, Harden, Collison, Maynor and Aldrich, etc.

True, but I'd rather trade Perkins and Westbrook and keep Ibaka and PF.

In the start i didn't like the uniforms. I thought we should have gone with some Black/Red/ and Gold colors. Cavaliers are Red/Brown/Gold, but then Black and Gold would make it seem like the wWrriors. The Navy Blue/White/ and Orange didn't seem to fit at first, i even thought it was a cheap knock off of the Knicks, but its grown on me, and the Knicks form their uniform much different to ours. Besides i like the logo, and mascot. The Thor hammer, and blotz is overdoing it.

What i want is the 3rd uniform next season to be that Black/Silver one NBA.Com is selling of Durant. Not the Durantula one, the legit Black/Silver/White KD 35 OKC jersey.

If there's any way to trade for Howard (impossible to sign him as a free agent) then you do it without thinking about it. Durant and Howard are 2 of the top 3 players in the NBA! I'm sure Presti would figure out a way to surround those guys with enough talent to win a championship.

Westbrook and Ibaka and a couple first rounders for Howard at next year's trade deadline? Done. You'd still have Perkins, Harden, Collison, Maynor and Aldrich, etc.

Have to believe that if KD and Howard were talking like that right now and it was leaked it would be on a lot more than just one interview... How excited I would be Iif it were true though... It does make you cringe a bit to think of the cost to get him though... Even if he was willing to take less salary wise what we would likely has to trade in itself for it to work would make me cringe alone

russokc :Just heard a comment on ESPN interview (Colin Cowherd interviewing some guy about Lebron). He said Howard has supposedly been in contact with Durant about joining forces?? Anyone else heard anything about this?!

Howard has said he would love to play with Durant. But I don't think any colluding is going on.

I can't wait until Spanish Bieber plays his 1st NBA game. With any luck he and real Bieber will play in that celebrity game during All-Star weekend and match up against each other.

Would be great to get a new deal done. The last thing the NBA needs is a lockout. Look at the NFL, nobody in the NBA wants that, especially with the NBA finally starting to come back from the image problems that plagued them the last decade. The NBA is not the NFL in terms of popularity or appeal, they cannot afford another lockout.

How many episodes will they air of Franklin and Bash before its cancelled? Will if have a better run than the Paul Reiser show which was cancelled and pulled off the air after 2 episodes?

anonymous :@russokc The only thing I’ve heard is a supposed 2 year extension thats in the works for Howard. Plus KD is locked in through 2016, so unless Howard wants to come to OKC or KD demands a trade, I don’t see it happening.

They are my thoughts too.... there's no way Howard is coming to OKC unless we trade Westbrook, and if he comes on FA we couldn't afford to keep half of our roster.

@russokcThe only thing I've heard is a supposed 2 year extension thats in the works for Howard. Plus KD is locked in through 2016, so unless Howard wants to come to OKC or KD demands a trade, I don't see it happening.

Just heard a comment on ESPN interview (Colin Cowherd interviewing some guy about Lebron). He said Howard has supposedly been in contact with Durant about joining forces?? Anyone else heard anything about this?!

I saw on twitter somewhere that this would be the last chance to come over under this current CBA's rookie scale. So I guess that played a part. Maybe he's expecting a significant change in the rookie scale.

im not a fan of the uniforms. I mean i dont want ANY sonic references on our teams logo. Call me cold hearted but i dont care about that sonic crap. This is the thunder, not sonic. Besides the sonic fans would just gripe about it anyways :P .

i do think we need new colors though, there seem to be A LOT of blue in the nba.

@ Jax Raging Bile DuctDo you think Rubio was trying to get over before the new CBA so he could get a better contract? Or would his contract have been under the old CBA since that's when he was drafted?

Hard to tell how RR will end up, but when Williams came into the league, he couldn't shoot either. But I make the comparison because of the limited athleticism, superior court vision, flashy passes, and very little substantial impact on winning.

I disagree with the guy about the rebranding. Over here on my end at least, people (especially myself) think the name, colors, and logo fit Oklahoma City perfectly.

How is the logo generic? It says OKC! Oklahoma City, right there, everyone knows who it is. The electric blue and orange are perfect colors for the team as well. Plus, how lame would it look to have a "brown-out" with that person's modified branding?

That said, it looks pretty awesome...but the Thunder are the Thunder. Big blue, baby. I think our success has also made it work. That Thunder blue, the logo, and the unis are official. No changes need to be made.

With Rubio, as long as he's got talen to work with, I think NBA coaches can work with him and improve his game. While I'm not comparing his overall game to Westbrook, just look at how RW was able to improve his shooting from his rookie year to now.

@gr8ball83I don't think he's nearly as unathletic as you seem to imply. Besides, defense doesn't require elite athleticism. Rubio is an extremely smart player. I have a feeling a lot of speedy guys are going to be frustrated because Rubio takes better angles than them and is constantly harassing their dribble. Don't forget he's big for a PG with long arms, the better for contesting and poking the ball away.

Rubio has a little Kidd in him (old Kidd without the shooting or rebounding). Great vision, needle-threading passing, great anticipation but he doesn't have sufficient speed or athleticism to be a Rondo-level PG.